The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston

Sometimes numbers will go up, and sometimes numbers will go down. Through these valleys, the slow movement might suggest your business is going through a rough patch— but take a close look at what you have, and realize what opportunities present themselves. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler shares a little miracle from The County, and a lesson on how the customer matters more than the number.  What You'll Learn In 2025, Aroostook County had fewer visitors. But the people who did come stayed longer, shopped more, and experienced more than ever before.  There is a correlation between the way each customer is treated and how much they will give in return. Great customer service does two things: first, it encourages more spending, and second, it increases the odds of returning customers. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Pine trees, town names, accent, deep history– a lot of things can be implied by a simple location. And according to the data, people respond to it as well. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler discusses the image, the advantages, and the responsibility that comes with the phrase "Made in Maine". What You'll Learn According to a 2024 survey, 60% of Mainers think Maine-made products are superior to products made elsewhere. While for some products it might be a small advantage, in the business world, you should take any advantages you have. Customers do judge books by their covers, and this goes both ways: by saying your product was made in Maine, you can rely on state pride to carry you far. But you also need to make sure your quality reflects it, or the customer will be all the more disappointed. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Once you put words out into the world, they are no longer your own. They can be interpreted, reviewed, reemphasized, and altered in any way that the medium allows. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler talks about one of the more notable examples: a total recall of branded pencils in 1998. What could have gone wrong with a simple printed pencil to warrant an entire recall? Well, a lot of bad decisions are made in the presence of drugs.  What You'll Learn Marketing slogans and phrases should be carefully worded and considered before they're used. You might accidentally create a message unrelated to or directly opposed to what your business intends.  Don't just test your messaging on the drawing board and the conference room, but in the real world as well. The people who know the code by heart are here, but those who think outside the box are there.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Ric Tyler reads the writing on the wall in this episode of The Briefcase: letters are costly, and the shorter a message the clearer it is for customers to read. What You'll Learn In Wheel Of Fortune and real life, each letter has a cost. Optimizing your signs will optimize your spacing and your spending. A shorter sign is easier to read, especially for a busy customer. If you respect the passerby's time, there is a greater chance the passerby will respect yours. By cutting out redundancies in your messages, you will deliver them more concisely, and with less effort. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Sometimes, when you look at it the wrong way, you can mistake April showers for a blizzard. Even when it seems dire, sometimes you must stick it out to reach the other side. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ian Buck, Sutherland Weston's Podcast and Content Production Coordinator, recounts the time a cynical viewpoint was proven wrong, and a little farmstand stood firm through the storm.  What You'll Learn: There will be times when the future looks grimmer than usual, and there will be people who will take it to heart. But many times, it won't be nearly as bad as it appears. A strong investment is a lasting investment, and a lasting investment is an adaptable one: if you and your business can stand the weather, you and your business will see the other side. The cynic's viewpoint is not always a stranger's: it can come from almost anywhere, and it can even come from yourself. Take note of how you feel about your own business, and examine if it's truly the way you should. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/ This episode of The Briefcase was written without AI.

This season. . . The most terrifying movie you've ever seen. . . The only thing scarier than losing your appliances. . . Is what they'll do to sell. you. another. It's not coming to a theatre near you, but you'll see it at some point, sure enough. Ads are everywhere in this day and age, and unfortunately, it's no secret that the big guns at the top have their ways to target their ads to you. So what is a little business in Maine going to do to stand up against the overwhelming odds? On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric shares a scary story about death. About loss. And that's not even the scary part. What You'll Learn: Companies can and will shell out the big bucks to get their ads thrown your way. What they have in quantity, they trade off in quality: showcases of their products and prices that are perfectly servicable... but who can do it better? It is up to you to make your business easy to remember, easy to find, and easy to choose. Be interesting, put effort into how you appear and how you market.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

When a business is working on something big, the first instinct might be to paper up the windows and say, "Check back soon!" A good mystery won't hurt anyone, but sometimes the best way to build buzz around your brand is by letting people see exactly what you're doing. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler weaves the fable of a restaurant opening in town, and how their open windows and clear construction invite curiosity and connection in ways a simple mystery never could. What You'll Learn: Previously, when remodeling or rebranding your business, the play was to capitalize on the mystery of it all. Nowadays, you'll instead want to capitalize on anticipation.  With the breakneck pace of modern life, you can't expect to rely on other people to build excitement for you. If a person passes by your papered-up business once, they won't think twice about it. Give them something to notice! By letting passers-by see your progress day after day, you are letting them connect with your growth on a personal level: by the time you finally open your doors, people won't want to see what's inside; people will want to be inside.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Because of the rise of AI assistants and agents in the workforce, you might be seeing a few patterns in the advertisements, blog posts, and announcements you see put out by businesses. It starts as a gut feeling, shifting into creeping suspicion, until the realization of what you're reading inevitably grabs you: that's not man, that's machine! On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler shares his observations on AI-written work in the wild. What You'll Learn Current LLMs have certain "tells" that make their work easier to spot than you might think. The overuse of em-dashes and Oxford commas are just a few of many different signs you're not reading a human's writing.  Large language models are trained off of educational material as well as casual internet traffic, so the tactics and tone that they use are full of classic rhetoric such as the rule of three, repetition, and parallel sentence structures. Your grammatical grace might not do you as well as you'd hope. When someone spots AI work, it calls attention away from whatever message the work was meant to deliver, and instead puts attention on the way it was written. You want to avoid this? Put some human creativity in there, instead! Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/ This episode of The Briefcase was written without AI.  

Nobody knows your brand like you do, and sometimes that can look like a problem. It's easy to grow weary of the logos and slogans that you use, but it's a matter of perspective. There's more merit to the brand you've built than you might see. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler urges us to hold on to our heritage: it means more to others than we realize. What You'll Learn About the same time you start to get sick of your branding, the consumer outside will start recognizing your branding. While for you, it seems stale, for the others, it's just beginning to stick! This is because your customers are not seeing your branding at the same frequency you are: so if you change your branding now, you will be changing it right as your customers start to become accustomed. There are times when a rebrand is a good call, and potentially even a needed one. But take care to properly assess the situation from both the internal and external viewpoints when you're thinking of a change: you might just find that a change in perspective will change your perspective. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

A very happy Valentine's Day from... what's that? Is it not Valentine's Day anymore? It probably wouldn't be, of course, so why start out your commercial by saying when you made it? On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler walks us through the dangers of dating your work and how to save time in the long run by shirking the time now. What You'll Learn Dating your commercial wastes precious seconds. Your customer knows what holiday or season it is, and you should show that you understand that.  If what you say on air doesn't match what listeners see outside, it can make your other assertions sound less certain by comparison. This transitive property is called imaginary resistance, and in the marketing world, it's a killer. Sometimes, ads get airtime far from their time of original recording: an ad made for Christmas might be played closer to Easter to fill time. This will make the narrative dissonance very apparent! Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Back when the sun first rose over the World Wide Web, companies all over began to dip their toes into the concept of websites. On radio spots and television ads, everyone was asking you to visit them online… but that has largely fallen to the wayside, even as the internet itself has become the main avenue for information. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler explains how the general public has picked up the internet, and tells us exactly where the dot com's gone. What You'll Learn At the beginning of a new paradigm of technology, the general consumer might need an introduction and a call to action to interface with your new digital location. However, as the technology develops and becomes more integrated, it tends to become more well-known: as such, the general consumer can find the location without as much help. Nowadays, consumers can navigate technology like the internet on their own, so you do not have to waste precious time talking. You don't need to tell them your URL, as they'll know how to find you.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

Taylor Swift knows it. Pink Floyd knows it. And so does Alton Buzzell, Director of Marketing at Hollywood Casino Bangor. On this special episode of The Briefcase, success can come through many avenues, but if you want to be successful, you have to be fearless. What You'll Learn Every great idea starts as someone else's bad idea. Trying out new ideas is the only way to grow your business! Don't fear failure. Sometimes a business decision doesn't work out, but that's just another step towards progress. Be fearless, not foolish. Review the data you've collected and choose your direction from there. Want to hear more from Alton? Check out Lights, Slots, Action!, a Hollywood Casino podcast by Sutherland Weston!   Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

The measure of a business is measurable results— and how you measure those is half the battle. On this episode of The Briefcase, Alton Buzzell, Director of Marketing at Hollywood Casino Bangor, talks to Ric about some cold, hard numbers—and how to use them correctly. If you're not operating with good, clean numbers, you won't know where you're going, but when you're working with good data, your map is as clear as day.  What You'll Learn Data is king: it lets you see what kinds of payoffs your efforts are giving you back- the good and the bad, what works and what needs to be changed. The way you find your measurable results might not be set in stone, so make sure you use the right tools for the right times.  You have to have enough data to make sure your information is correct— a low sample size can mean an awful lot of things, but for certain, it means that you're not getting the whole story.   Want to hear more from Alton? Check out Lights, Slots, Action!, a Hollywood Casino podcast by Sutherland Weston! Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

February is the best time of the year for Sutherland Weston's Podcast & Content Production Coordinator, Ian Buck. But not because of the big game: he's tuning in for the ads! Every year, companies put out their best ads for the time slots where they know everyone will be watching. Some take big swings, some play it safe. Some reach the stars, and some fall on their face. On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Ian and Ric take you through the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Super Bowl... ad breaks!  What You'll Learn Good ads look good: a bold visual style sets your advertisement apart from the rest! Good ads tell stories: don't just say 'buy my product'! Show what your product does, and why someone would need it.  Good ads are clever: funny, witty, smart, or just wise to what you're selling, ads that know what they're doing are one step closer to success.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Kristen Oliver, former Senior Account Manager at Sutherland Weston, who shares the story that changed how the United Way of Eastern Maine operated forever. It isn't about asking someone what to do, it isn't about telling someone what to do: it's about inspiring them. (So, you can dance if you want to!) What You'll Learn Humans look to connect, and there are many ways we can, but the tried and true method is through dance! There's a crucial variable to the start of a rally: the very first follower is what makes a movement move. Inspiration is not a waste; it's a more powerful tool, and more contagious, than you think.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Jessica Ward, Vice President of Philanthropy of Heart of Maine United Way, former Senior Account Manager of Sutherland Weston, and former teacher, who walks us through the thread of all the jobs she's held: relationships. Relationships are the pillar that upholds not only a business, but a person themselves: Jess understands this well, and shares some tips on how to make these relationships blossom.  What You'll Learn By establishing trust between yourself and another, you also establish yourself as trustworthy— and that idea can spread around! Putting relationships first means that you're first and foremost there to help other people, and that means a lot in the eyes of others.  With trust and curiosity already out in the open, it's all the easier to help other people dive in to work, to find solutions together. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Jessica Ward, Vice President of Philanthropy of Heart of Maine United Way former Senior Account Manager of Sutherland Weston, to talk about their favorite project in their history of working in the field. Her story is one with a lesson, and it connects to both the past and the present of the industry: with clients and peers, trust the process. What You'll Learn There is a process to making good marketing, and that process requires both the firm and the client to work together. Marketing is a conversation between the firm, the client, and the consumer. In all three instances, the most important factor is trust. By establishing a rapport between the client and the agency, the results that are produced will be worth it.  Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/  

On this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, video production specialist at Sutherland Weston and San Francisco 49ers fan, gives us a little bit of wisdom found in the field. The NFL, one of America's biggest institutions, is spreading out to Mexico and Britain before our very eyes— but aren't they big enough? Paul teaches the difference between moving the goal posts and expanding your borders.    What You'll Learn Any business wants to get bigger, because getting bigger gets you more money. Growth is growth, no matter the size you start at. Even bringing your business down the lane is improvement. It's good to branch out into new things, but don't let your ads become your product: it's football, not a fashion show. Got a question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

On his trip to Louisville, Kentucky, Ric Tyler of Sutherland Weston saw an intriguing line of billboards, which brought him to this episode of The Briefcase to talk about marketing that connects, rather than marketing that competes. Is there merit to making your ads not about your product, but about your customer's well-being?   What You'll Learn It pays to think about the well-being of your clients. Sometimes, connection is more critical than product features. The message that you want to deliver, first and foremost, is that of care. Gotta question for the Sutherland Weston team? Connect with us at https://sutherlandweston.com/

A good line is memorable, but a great line is memorized, and sometimes "simple" gets a lot more done than "snappy".  On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler talks us through some of Sutherland Weston's marketing miracles, and talks about the qualities of a solid catchphrase. What you'll learn: Not everyone will sing your jingle, but with a catchphrase or slogan, you have a bigger audience you could reach.   A line could be- and should be- tweaked to be more memorable if the opportunity arises. "Don't forget your rope" can be said a lot easier than "grommets"!   A good line on paper will often be outshined by a great line in practice: even if something reads weak, it might turn out very strong when used. 

Quick! This episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase is about catching attention in the business sphere! You need to cut right to the chase to make sure you've got your customers' attention in this busy world, especially as it gets busier and busier.  What you'll learn: 1976 was a very different time, and among the many things that have changed is the general attention span: nobody wants to wait over two minutes to get to the good stuff. Attention is a currency that we spend scrupulously in this world: you need to make sure your material is worth it. Lead with the best information you have— what can you save and simplify for people? What can you do for them that's worth their time?

If you're a jack of all trades, you're the master of none— but if you focus on a subject matter, you can become that subject's master. On this episode of The Briefcase, Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute and author of Sell With Authority, returns to discuss vocation, location, and business truncation, and how giving yourself a speciality will make your business special.  What You'll Learn You can try and serve everyone, but you'll be spreading your company very thin: specializing in your clientele allows you to give a better overall product. Specialized expertise allows for greater outreach, as you're the one person that your clients can get your services from. Adopt your niche slowly: in the beginning, you can work a bit outside of it, but as you grow your business, you should stick to a calling.  

The homepage is meant to help your business, but if not used correctly, all it'll do is hinder you.  On this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, talks about the website side of businesses and what can break (or make) the customer experience. How is a website like an octopus? You'll have to listen to find out.   What you'll learn: There's a three-second test you can use to see if your website's landing page shapes up. In three seconds, could a new visitor tell what you do, who you serve, and what to do next just by your homepage? Every page on your website should answer a single simple question. Confusion on your site doesn't lead to conversions. A website that you don't like to update will not end up updated: so a simple design is better for both your customers and you!

On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, CEO Elizabeth Sutherland celebrates the most wonderful time of the year: the fourth quarter! Between the November and December holidays, you might think that after the hubbub, you should take a break. But don't think you can coast through this last section of the year: If you want to start the next year right, give future you the present that they need the most— a solid, structured plan!  What You'll Learn Even through the December rush, planning ahead for the new year is imperative for a good start. Harvard studies show that businesses that set clear priorities for the future are more likely to hit their overall goals. Bring a little structure to your 2026 planning now, and your plans in 2026 will thank you.

What if the goods and services you're offering offer you no good service? What if what you're selling shouldn't be what you're buying? On this episode of The Briefcase, Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute and author of Sell With Authority will tell us how to do what was previously thought utterly impossible to say on a business podcast: STOP SELLING STUFF! What You'll Learn Consumers look to services to solve problems: stop selling things when you can sell expertise. Expertise should be shared with a client over time to establish ease of understanding, to solve problems with efficiency, and to keep them wanting more. If you want your services to be seen as reliable, you'll want your services to be known as consistent.

Sometimes, even when you put in the work and fork over the cash, the numbers still look like they don't care. You might start to wonder if you've been ripped off! On this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, talks about some common symptoms of dashboard sickness, and how Google ads don't waste money, it's a bad strategy that does. What you'll learn: Match types are integral to good advertising: a sweet deal on bicycle seats won't mean much to a bus driver. Ads don't live in a vacuum: if you grab the customer's attention but don't deliver on the follow-through, you won't see the numbers you want anytime soon. Improperly tracking your conversions can lead to results that don't look good. By keeping tabs on the right values, you might find you're actually right where you want to be.

On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Shelley Sund, Vice President and Director of Client Services of Sutherland Weston, leads us down the rabbit hole of brand consistency. What makes a clean image? Why is it so important? Who else is doing this right...? Join us before the conspiracy board as we crack this case wide open… the case of The Red Thread! What You'll Learn Establishing a common theme between different parts of your brand increases the magic and reinforces your mission statement. Big brands like Disney or Dove use The Red Thread to reinforce their image and philosophy. You don't want to look like a garage sale: establishing a specialized theme is important to establishing success.

On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, CEO Elizabeth Sutherland joins Ric Tyler and continues their discussion on the art of the podcast and how to ensure it works as intended. You might have ten hundred hits, but how do you get those numbers off the screen and into your business? Elizabeth gives three invaluable tips on the art of turning listeners into customers! What You'll Learn Give listeners a reason to act, and quick! Give them something to do! Podcasts with guests are more than good conversation; they're built-in marketing partners. Your podcast works best if it is tied to other avenues of connection.

On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, CEO Elizabeth Sutherland joins Ric Tyler as they get a little meta with this all, and talk about just what makes a podcast pull its weight. How do you make sure your program isn't just an ego experiment, and how can you tell when you've started to get where you want to go? Tune in to find out. What You'll Learn How to tell when your podcast is hitting the mark. The right reasons to start up a business-oriented podcast: It's a committment!  How to structure your podcast to make money-- either directly, or indirectly. 

Everyone has dreams of "going viral", but is that really what you should be aiming for? Or should your sights be aimed at an audience that's a little more... broad? On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler talks about the myth of virality, the hits of reality, and Nirvana's hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".  What You'll Learn How a live performance by Nirvana changed the landscape of a generation. We might not want to go viral: instead, we might want our work to be "broadcast". How casting a broader net will optimize the process exceptionally.

While spokespeople can generate attention and credibility, they also carry personal risks that can quickly become brand liabilities. Cautionary examples illustrate how once-beloved figures can turn into public scandals, forcing companies to sever ties and rebuild trust.  In this episode, Ric Tyler explains that the message is simple but powerful: when a brand is tied to a person, it inherits their flaws as well as their fame. Instead, the safest and most enduring strategy is to let the brand speak for itself—through honest storytelling, authentic messaging, or even a timeless mascot that can't be canceled. What You'll Learn: The potential fallout of linking your brand to a spokesperson or celebrity. Lessons from high-profile examples of brand damage caused by personal scandals. Why authenticity and self-defined storytelling make a brand more resilient.

Between pants and purses, what draws people to your products? It seems like in the world of fashion, sometimes the model takes a paradoxical backseat to the material. This week on Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Ric Tyler takes a brief dive into the psychology behind presentation, and the mode behind the model.    What You'll Learn Transference: a phenomenon where a person transfers their feelings about one person, thing, or situation to another. Vicarious Haptic Effect: a phenomenon where viewing someone else touching a product creates a greater sense of ownership. Halo Effect: a phenomenon where the tendency for positive impressions of an entity in one area to positively influence one's opinion or feelings of another entity in a different area.

You might get someone to like your product, but you're not going to be able to get someone to love your product. However, there's a guy you can call for that... you just need to make them up! On this episode of The Briefcase, Sutherland Weston's Podcast & Content Production Coordinator, Ian Buck joins Ric Tyler in discussing the art, the life, and the disappearance of the mascot.   What You'll Learn: Companies producing likable products often struggle to make their products loved. Mascots and characters can help generate love— not for the products, but for those who make the product. Brands seem to be moving away from mascots, leading to those that keep in circulation standing taller.

They say that comedy comes in threes, but when does a joke lose its charm? Should you strike when the iron is hot, or are you bound to get burned? On this episode of The Briefcase by Sutherland Weston, Dan Cashman and Ric Tyler talk about the shelf-life of parody and the fickle nature of "funny".  What You'll Learn: How an overdone or slow-to-take satire may not connect with consumers. How sometimes waiting longer to release a work of parody can be beneficial: it's about the balance. How it's up to larger establishments or personalities to test the waters to see if a parody is feasible. Otherwise, you'd have to take the leap.

Design choice is paramount to the success of your signs, and with such little time for someone to read them, what do you say? On this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Ric Tyler touches on the quick, the witty, and the itty-bitty when it comes to road signs. What You'll Learn: The consumer has about 2 seconds to see your sign, so you have about 1 second to catch their attention. Road signs should be like a great headline: short, punchy, clear, and bold. The signs that work don't say everything: they say one thing and say it well.

"There's a woman here and she wants to speak to the manager. She says her name is Karen." Business owners will inevitably encounter a "Karen." But before you escape out the backdoor, listen to this edition of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase. Ric Tyler takes us "out to the ball game" for a real life lesson in how kindness can outshine a Karen What You'll Learn: Someone may be watching — or even — recording! A level head can serve you well.  Shine brighter than the negativity, and you can spin the situation into your favor.

Last week on The Briefcase, CEO of Sutherland Weston Elizabeth Sutherland talked about the controversial Cracker Barrel logo redesign, how it failed, and where it went wrong. This week, we continue to hear about ways for your business to identify and avoid these same mistakes. What You'll Learn: Rebrands are about reminding your customers why they chose you. "Mellencamping" your logo can make big rebrands work, but don't make too big a change too early. The Logo of your company should be the last step, not your first.

Cracker Barrel created controversy when removing the man and the barrel from its logo — a simplification that simply failed according to customers and stockholders. On this episode of The Briefcase, Sutherland Weston CEO Elizabeth Sutherland talks about how legacy brands are not built by the boardroom: they're built by the buyers.   What You'll Learn: Your brand is tied to your reputation: it's what they say about you when you leave the room. When you change a brand as set as Cracker Barrel, you're separating yourself from that reputation. Rebrand efforts have to be about trust, not just design.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a good song never dies. In this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase, Ric Tyler walks us through some of the most famous sound signatures in the history of brands, their origins, and their impacts, and how some have changed along the way.    What you'll learn: The history of three brand-defining sound signatures.  Sound signatures work best as short, simple phrases that can easily be played and remembered. Effective sound signatures are long-term investments, but take a long time and a lot of resources to see any effect.

In the marketing world, a good name is everything. So what happens when you want, or need, to modify it? In this episode of Sutherland Weston's The Briefcase (The Brief? The Case?), Ric Tyler walks us through examples of businesses on a first-name basis, both those who made the leap and those who stumbled on the way there.   What you'll learn: How some businesses, like Dunkin Donuts, got their actual start once they rebranded. How some businesses, like Popeyes, eventually changed their name to sound cleaner and trendier to consumers. How some businesses, like "The Shack", changed their name in such a way that deterred or confused consumers.   

Seasons don't fear the dashboard, nor do the charts, the graphs, or the cells… In this episode of The Briefcase, Jordon Meyer, founder and CEO of Granular, talks about the free tool ready to help business owners navigate the marketing landscape and see how far they've come!   What you'll learn: How crucial it is to your business to track your marketing performance regularly. The tools you have at your disposal to master the spreadsheet, like Google Analytics, WordPress, and Shopify. How working with agencies or data-rich platforms can provide valuable comparative insights and help make smarter marketing decisions.

Some people look at Myers-Briggs results to see if two people will work well together. More spiritual-minded people might find results in comparing star signs or birthstones. Nicole Mahoney, CEO of Travel Alliance Partnership, walks us through a more rooted model of navigating "Coopetition".  What you'll learn: If you're too busy and have 'no time for collaboration', you need collaboration to help gain back that time and capacity. The three types of collaborators: the promoter, the doubter, and the protector.  The important factors that make partnerships succeed in the long run are established at the very beginning. 

In a world where everyone is sweating the small stuff, it can be hard for a business to find its identity, let alone share it with the market. In this episode of The Briefcase, Kirsten Cutshall, CEO of Steel Advertising, calls in all the way from Texas to talk about building your business's core character. What you'll learn: Instead of advertising the smaller features, focus on the uncompromising fundamentals of your service. Cementing your institution's core values and character will increase customer attraction, as you can become their go-to. The time your company needs to recognize and refine its core character is worth it for the resulting customer communication.

Once the calendars hit June, everybody wants to make a summer full of memories: your business might be in the position to provide them. In this episode of The Briefcase, Kirsten Cutshall, CEO of Steel Advertising, calls in from Texas to share the trade secrets of the Summer Marketing Strategies. What you'll learn: During the summer, people want to make memories-- and to make memories, people need to make time. By playing to the aesthetics of the summer, you can secure your business's place in the season and the hearts of others. If you can make your marketing a meetup, you can make memories at your location.

Sometimes, the best way to make a statement is with silence. For the entire month of May, LL Bean has been pausing all social media to support mental health. In this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, walks us through the reasoning behind and the impacts in the wake of the brand's seasonal silence. What you'll learn: Having your brand take a stand on well-being and other values adds new dimensions for consumers to latch onto. Sacrificing online presence in a community-minded manner can give rise to a brand's earned media. Consumers, ages 20 to 40, will support brand sincerity over social media presence.

In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, unpacks the often-underappreciated yet pivotal role that audio plays in video content. Framed by his professional insights and casual banter, Paul highlights how audio can elevate a video's impact or derail its effectiveness.  As video habits shift toward "listening over watching," Paul shares tips for using music, sound effects, and clean vocals to guide the audience and keep their attention emotionally. Packed with practical wisdom and analogies that stick, the episode reveals how intentional audio design transforms good videos into compelling experiences. YOU'LL LEARN: – The Strategic Role of Audio in Video Production – How to Adapt to Audio-First Content Consumption Habits – How to Balance Music, Sound Effects, and Clarity in Storytelling  

In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, follows up on a previous episode titled "Unforgettable" about the importance of standing out in business. Paul takes this idea further by discussing how video, specifically how you shoot video, can make your business not just seen, but remembered. Whether you're selling tires or cakes, the goal is to highlight what makes your company different in a visual way that captures attention. With a phone camera and a willingness to think visually, you can craft video content that educates, entertains, and stands out from the competition.  YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO: – Use Video To Differentiate Your Business – Harness the Power of Unique Angles and Perspectives – Engage Audiences with Behind-the-Scenes Content

In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland, President and CEO of Sutherland Weston, explores the blurred lines between fiction and real-world media access, sparked by a plot twist in Richard Osman's We Solve Murders, part of the Thursday Murder Club series.  Using the fictional scene as a springboard, Elizabeth and Ric Tyler offer a behind-the-scenes look at television media protocols, typically involving multiple layers of approval from producers to anchors before a story sees airtime. The idea that someone could simply walk into a studio and share a narrative unchecked is, for most people, pure fiction—unless they carry significant fame, and even then, it's not that simple. Elizabeth shares a rare Maine-based exception involving Senator George Mitchell, adding depth to the conversation and highlighting how influence and integrity can sometimes bend the usual rules. YOU'LL LEARN: – Media Vetting Processes: What it actually takes to get airtime on a professional broadcast. – Celebrity Influence: How fame can shift access to platforms, but not eliminate gatekeeping entirely. – Real-Life Media Exceptions: A rare case of unscripted airtime featuring a well-respected public figure.  

In this episode of The Briefcase from Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, audiovisual specialist Paul Chadwick shares how turning on closed captioning for his television viewing sparked a deeper appreciation for the practical power of subtitles in marketing and communication.  He explains that closed captioning isn't just for accessibility; it's a strategic tool that boosts engagement, reaches silent viewers, and improves SEO by making video content readable by search engines. Paul emphasizes how easy it is to add captions using built-in platform tools. He encourages marketers to invest a little effort for a significant impact—enhancing viewer experience, increasing reach, and serving audiences with hearing impairments. You'll learn: Why Accessibility and Inclusion in Video Content is Crucial How Closed Captions Can Boost Engagement and Improve SEO Some Simple Tools and Best Practices for Captioning

Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan, joins The Briefcase to share the power of START, a five-step framework designed to help marketers and businesses cut through the noise and create actionable, enduring plans. Morris provides a compelling argument for structured agility in digital marketing, from avoiding over-complication to building strategies that outlast employee turnover to reminding listeners that agility can quickly become chaos without a clear plan. You'll learn: – The START Framework – A five-step, 90-day process for building actionable digital marketing plans. – Structured Agility – Balancing long-term strategy with short-term adaptability. – Sustainable Planning – Creating marketing plans that endure team changes and distractions. Discover more at sutherlandweston.com/briefcase/